A Whistler man received a once-in-a-lifetime birthday present this year.
The night before his big day, Francis Masculino found out he'd won $500,000 from the March 3 Lotto Max draw.
"This means I can spend more time at home with my kids," said Masculino, who has called Whistler home since moving to Canada from the Philippines in 2008, in a BCLC release.
Masculino said he feels "grateful" for his big win. While he plans to use the money to pay off his vehicle and purchase a home, he also noted that this life-changing win means he can now work one job instead of two.
When Masculino, who purchased his ticket from the Squamish Walmart, first checked his ticket while filling up for gas, he couldn't believe it—so he drove home, downloaded the BCLC Lotto! app and checked it again.
According to a BCLC release, Masculino's wife almost cried when he told her the good news.
Masculino claimed his prize using BCLC's temporary alternate prize-claim process.
